Heading the list of victims on Thursday were Italian side Udinese, who failed to overturn a 3-1 first-leg deficit against Slovan Liberec, drawing 1-1 in the Czech Republic, despite fielding a strong team, to bow out of Europe before the end of August.

Elsewhere, Bundesliga club Stuttgart – who last weekend sacked coach Bruno Labbadia and replaced him with youth coach Thomas Schneider – drew 2-2 at hone to Rijeka of Croatia to exit the competition 4-3 on aggregate.

The Germans conceded the decisive goal in the fourth minute of injury time.

Former European champions Feyenoord were eliminated by Kuban Krasnodar, while Spartak Moscow were surprisingly ousted by modest Swiss club St Gallen, and it was a shocking night for French clubs as Saint-Etienne and Nice were knocked out by Esbjerg of Denmark and Apollon Limassol of Cyprus respectively.

That completed a miserable week for French sides in general after Lyon lost to Real Sociedad of Spain in the Champions League play-offs on Wednesday.

In contrast, Premier League clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Swansea City had few problems coming through their ties and take their place in Friday’s group-stage draw in Monaco.

Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas fielded a fringe team that remained more than strong enough to beat Georgia’s Dinamo Tbilisi 3-0 on the night and 8-0 on aggregate.

Jermain Defoe scored twice at White Hart Lane, while Lewis Holtby was also on target.

Swansea, meanwhile, lost to 2-1 to Petrolul in Romania, but had already done the hard part by winning 5-1 in the first leg in Wales.

Other leading names to progress on Thursday were Spain’s Sevilla and their city neighbours Betis, Eintracht Frankfurt and Dynamo Kiev. Fiorentina of Italy also advanced, although only on away goals after losing 1-0 at home to Grasshoppers Zurich.

Thursday’s winners will be joined in the group-stage draw by the losers from the Champions League play-offs and the seven clubs to qualify automatically, including English FA Cup holders Wigan Athletic, Coppa Italia winners Lazio, Valencia of Spain, Freiburg of Germany and French Cup holders Bordeaux.

The final place – left open following Fenerbahce’s two-year ban from European competition – will be taken by one of the play-off round losers, with UEFA pulling one of the lucky losers out of a hat on Friday morning.

Recommended stories

Valencia held off Monaco in their Champions League play-off tie to qualify for the group stages, despite a 2-1 second-leg defeat at the Stade Louis II on Tuesday as they progressed 4-3 on aggregate. MONACO: Valencia held off Monaco in their Champions League play-off tie to qualify for the group stages, despite a 2-1 second-leg defeat at the Stade Louis II on Tuesday (Aug 25) as they progressed 4-3 on aggregate. The Spanish side held a 3-1 advantage from the first leg and Alvaro Negredo's superb early goal on Tuesday stunted the principality club's hopes of a comeback. Andrea Raggi…... [read more]

Colombian striker Radamel Falcao said that he had fulfilled "a dream" after completing a loan move to Manchester United from Monaco in the early hours of Tuesday (Sep 2) morning. Colombian forward Radamel Falcao watches the French Ligue 1 match between Monaco and Lorient at the Louis II stadium in Monaco. (AFP/File/Jean-Christophe Magnenet) >>Man United agree Falcao loan deal - reports LONDON: Colombian striker Radamel Falcao said that he had fulfilled "a dream" after completing a loan move to Manchester United from Monaco in the early hours of Tuesday (Sep 2) morning. "For me, it was a dream to play…... [read more]

Eight-time champion Rafael Nadal slumped to a shock Monte Carlo Masters quarter-final defeat to David Ferrer while Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic struggled into a semi-final showdown. MONTE CARLO, Monaco: Eight-time champion Rafael Nadal slumped to a shock Monte Carlo Masters quarter-final defeat to compatriot David Ferrer on Friday while Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic struggled into a semi-final showdown. Ferrer claimed a famous 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 win to hand the top seed only his third loss in the principality just a day after Nadal had won his 300th career claycourt match and 50th at the Monte Carlo Country Club.…... [read more]

World number one Rafael Nadal and number two Novak Djokovic advanced to the final of the Miami ATP Masters after both Kei Nishikori and Tomas Berdych pulled out of Friday's semi-finals. World number one Rafael Nadal (R) and number two Novak Djokovic (L) will face off in the final of the Miami ATP Masters after both Kei Nishikori and Tomas Berdych withdraw from Friday's semi-finals due to injury and illness. (AFP/THOMAS COEX/JEAN-CHRISTOPHE MAGNENET) MIAMI: World number one Rafael Nadal and number two Novak Djokovic advanced to the final of the Miami ATP Masters after both Kei Nishikori and Tomas Berdych…... [read more]

World number one Novak Djokovic and seven-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal go head-to-head for the 35th time on Friday, confronting either history or heartbreak. PARIS: World number one Novak Djokovic and seven-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal go head-to-head for the 35th time on Friday, confronting either history or heartbreak. Djokovic needs a French Open title to become only the eighth man to capture all four majors while a first victory on the Paris red clay would also put the Australian Open champion halfway to a calendar Grand Slam. That feat has not been achieved since Rod Laver did…... [read more]

Rafael Nadal is determined to put aside his first loss in a decade in Monte Carlo as he searches for peak physical condition this week in Barcelona. (AFP/Jean-Christophe Magnenet) The world number five brushed off his 6-2, 7-6 final defeat to Novak Djokovic at the weekend, which ended his bid for a ninth straight Monte Carlo title, saying it was "no tragedy". Instead of moaning about missing out on another clay record, the 26-year-old merely re-dedicated himself to the Roland Garros run-up, starting in the Catalan capital where he makes his second-round start on Wednesday. "Hopefully I can play another…... [read more]

Rafael Nadal survived one of his toughest claycourt tests to squeeze out a dramatic 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 win over highly-rated Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in the quarter-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters on Friday. MONTE CARLO, Monaco: Rafael Nadal survived one of his toughest claycourt tests to squeeze out a dramatic 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 win over highly-rated Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in the quarter-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters on Friday. The Spaniard, who has not lost in the principality since 2003, was reluctant to talk about taping on his back, evidence of the wear and tear his return to his beloved…... [read more]

Juande Ramos earned a measure of revenge for his sacking by Tottenham Hotspur as Dnipro snatched a late 1-0 win over his former club in the Europa League last 32 first leg on Thursday. Ramos was axed by Spurs in October 2008 after just 12 months in charge at White Hart Lane and the Spaniard is clearly still irked by his treatment judging by the series of verbal swipes he took at the Premier League club in the pre-match build-up this week. The 59-year-old, who won the League Cup with Spurs but departed with the team bottom of the table,…... [read more]

Tottenham Hotspur won 2-0 against Tromso in the bitter chill of Norway on Thursday to seal first place in Europa League Group K and ease a little of the pressure on manager Andre Villas-Boas. PARIS: Tottenham Hotspur won 2-0 against Tromso in the bitter chill of Norway on Thursday to seal first place in Europa League Group K and ease a little of the pressure on manager Andre Villas-Boas. Reports in England in recent days suggest that the Portuguese is hanging on to his job after last Sunday's 6-0 hammering by Manchester City in the Premier League, and another substandard…... [read more]

Tottenham, Swansea and Wigan, with a first ever European victory, all registered Europa League wins on Thursday to stay on course for the knockout rounds. Spurs shrugged off hostile weather conditions in Russia to deny Anzhi Makhachkala 2-0 and tighten their grip on Group K, going four points clear. Jermain Defoe celebrated his call-up to the England squad earlier in the day for this month's final batch of World Cup qualifiers with the first goal. Set up by Lewis Holtby he struck from inside the box after the half hour mark, rifling the ball into the roof of the net.…... [read more]